[Third Person Pov]
When they finally arrived at the beach, the sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt in the air greeted them. Gwen and the rest of the girls headed straight toward the row of pastel-colored dressing rooms stationed along the boardwalk to change into their swimsuits. The sunlight shimmered off the ocean, and the faint laughter of other beachgoers blended with the cry of distant seagulls.
Peter and Harry had already changed — unsurprisingly, they were the first ones done — and were now leaning casually against the hood of Peter's sleek car, both wearing sunglasses as they waited.
"The girls sure are taking their time," Peter finally said, stretching his arms over his head before smirking. "Maybe I should go check on them—see if they need any help."
Harry gave him a flat look. "You better not," he warned, pushing his shades up his nose. "My girl's in there too. And knowing your luck, you'll get spotted, someone will scream, and the next thing you know—bam—your face is plastered on TV with the headline 'Local billionaire Caught Peeping'."
"...Darn…" Peter muttered, snapping his fingers dramatically as if his evil scheme had just been foiled. Harry couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
"Relax," Harry said, nudging Peter's shoulder. "They'll be out any second now—see?" He pointed toward the dressing rooms.
The door swung open, and the girls stepped out one by one, sunlight catching them in a near cinematic moment.
Felicia emerged first, confidently striding forward in a sleek black one-piece that accentuated her curves. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail with two loose strands framing her face, and a pair of white-framed sunglasses rested stylishly atop her head.
MJ followed, wearing a dark red velvet two-piece with a translucent, flowy cloth draped around her hips that fluttered in the sea breeze. A wide straw hat shaded her eyes, tilted forward at a teasing angle.
Gwen came next, her look softer — a frilly white two-piece paired with twin braids that hung neatly over her chest. She was holding Aria's hand, the little girl smiling brightly as they walked side by side.
Finally, Lizzy appeared, her confidence practically glowing. She wore a yellow string bikini; the top tied neatly behind her neck, while the bottom featured cutouts that revealed glimpses of her toned midriff. Her blonde hair was woven into a thick braid that fell over her shoulder, secured with a delicate hair clip that shimmered faintly in the light.
Peter, of course, couldn't resist. He brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly before breaking into applause and mock cheering. "Woo! The beach just got ten times brighter!"
Harry just shook his head with a grin as Lizzy approached. "Ohlala~," he said with a teasing smirk.
"You like?" she asked, tilting her hips slightly and striking a playful pose.
Harry lifted his sunglasses slowly, meeting her eyes. "I love," he said with a grin that made her giggle before leaning in to give him a quick kiss.
Peter looked between the girls, dramatically holding his head as if overwhelmed. "I don't even know where to look—you all look amazing!" he exclaimed.
Felicia placed a hand on her hip, smirking. "All right, Parker—quick round. Don't think, just answer: which one of us looks the cutest?"
"Yeah, Pete, pick," Gwen added, crossing her arms under her chest and giving him a challenging grin.
MJ leaned forward slightly, lifting her hat to meet his gaze. "And you can't say all of us."
Peter pretended to ponder the question deeply, rubbing his chin with exaggerated thoughtfulness. "You're all making this really tough for me," he said, glancing between them with mock seriousness. "But if I have to pick… the cutest one here has to be—her!"
Before anyone could react, Peter swooped down and scooped up Aria into his arms, spinning her around. The little girl giggled and squealed as Peter nuzzled her cheek affectionately.
"Boo! That's cheating!" Felicia said with a playful scoff, crossing her arms.
MJ chuckled and reached over to pinch Aria's cheek. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's got a point. Aria's definitely the cutest."
Gwen pouted, shaking her head. "What a total cop-out answer," she muttered, though the corner of her mouth betrayed a faint smile.
Harry and Lizzy both laughed, shaking their heads as Peter set Aria back down.
"Okay, okay," Peter said, lifting his hands defensively. "Let's just get our spot on the beach before I dig myself into a hole. The last thing I need is getting on any of your bad sides this early in the day."
…
Once the group had claimed their spot on the beach — a nice patch of soft golden sand beneath a big striped umbrella — Peter dropped their bags and began helping Aria settle down. The little girl was already bouncing with excitement, her eyes fixed on the waves as if she was about to sprint toward them at any second.
"Hold it right there, young lady," Peter said, catching her by the shoulder just as she was about to dash off. "You're not going anywhere without sunscreen."
Aria groaned dramatically, folding her arms. "What? I'm like... part android. I don't need sunscreen." Her tone was flat and matter-of-fact.
Peter arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, part of you. The other part is still very much human."
Before she could protest, he squirted a generous blob of sunscreen into his hands and started roughly rubbing it over her arms and face. Aria squirmed and grumbled the whole time, flinching every few seconds as he worked too quickly to be gentle.
When he was done, Aria stood there with her hair slightly disheveled, her skin gleaming from the thick coat of lotion, and a betrayed expression fixed on her face. "Was that really necessary?" she asked, her glare sharp enough to cut glass.
"Extremely," Peter said, grinning as he wiped his hands with a towel. "Now, go on, twerp. You're cleared for takeoff."
Aria rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath before finally running off toward the shore, her laughter soon swallowed by the sound of crashing waves.
As Peter leaned back with a satisfied sigh, Felicia stretched on her towel nearby, propping herself up on one elbow. "Hey, Tiger~" she called out, her voice dripping with mischief. "Why don't you put some sunscreen on us too?"
Peter looked over, eyes glinting mischievously as he picked up the bottle and started shaking it. "Oh, I'd love to help. Just tell me where you want it, baby."
Felicia giggled, arching her back slightly and puffing out her chest as she pointed toward the neckline of her swimsuit. "Right here," she said playfully. "Spray it on me, Tiger."
"You got it!" Peter said with mock intensity. He popped open the cap, made a few exaggerated grunting noises, and even thrust his hips for comedic effect as he sprayed a stream of sunscreen across her chest.
The two of them burst into laughter—until they noticed a group of passing girls who had stopped dead in their tracks, staring wide-eyed at the scene.
The girls exchanged bewildered glances, their jaws slightly agape.
Gwen, sitting a few feet away, didn't even look up from adjusting her towel. "We don't know them," she said flatly.
"She's right," MJ added without missing a beat, her expression perfectly deadpan. "Total strangers."
That broke the tension—the group of onlookers started giggling, shaking their heads as they walked off.
Lizzy, who had been watching the entire thing unfold with visible disbelief, finally asked, "What is seriously wrong with you two?"
Neither Peter nor Felicia responded. They were too busy laughing, both rolling across their towels, clutching their stomachs as tears formed at the corners of their eyes.
Harry, shaking his head, sighed, already used to their antics. "Unbelievable," he muttered—then smirked. In one swift motion, he scooped Lizzy off her feet and slung her over his shoulder.
"Harry! What are you—?!" she yelped, bursting into laughter as he started sprinting toward the water.
"Come on, let's leave those lunatics to their comedy act," he called out, ignoring her playful kicks. "Time for a swim!"
Peter lay face-down on his towel, he panted mockingly as if he'd just done a laborious task. He turned his head toward Felicia, who was still chuckling as she rubbed the sunscreen more evenly over her neck and shoulders.
"So…" he asked between breaths, "how'd I do?"
Felicia leaned over him, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She brushed a strand of hair from his face before pressing a light kiss to his forehead.
"Spectacular," she murmured.
************************************************
+5 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3